If a food is likely to lead to obesity, researchers term it “obesogenic.” So here’s an important question – is high fructose corn syrup more obesogenic than cane sugar?

A parallel between the dramatic increase in HFCS consumption and obesity since 1980 makes it look as if the chemically synthesized corn-based sweetener really is a more potent obesity driver.

But the fact is, even countries that never switched to massive use of HFCS – instead relying on traditional sugar – have also seen a massive obesity increase in recent decades.

And a study by researchers at the University of Central Florida confirmed that there is no evidence that HFCS is a particularly obesogenic form of sugar. After analyzing the effects of HFCS and cane sugar on 247 volunteers who consumed one or the other over 12 weeks, the two appeared to be “metabolically equivalent” the researchers concluded.

So…does this mean you should go ahead and consume more HFCS? Not at all! Instead, it simply means that Americans should consume far less of either kind of sugar, as over-consumption of either has profound, negative health consequences including increased risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease and other serious conditions.

If you need an added sweetener, modest amounts of either maple or glucose syrup are alright. But the best course is to curtail or even eliminate the use of all added sweeteners. You will soon find that it becomes easier to appreciate the natural sweetness of fruits and vegetables, and that foods that contain added sweeteners begin to seem cloying and unpalatable.